Go eggsploring
April 9-24, Greenwood Family Park, Wales
Little explorers will love working out clues to track down eggs which have been hidden across Greenwood, a vast playground nestled beneath the trees of Snowdonia’s National Park. Unearth every egg to crack the winner’s code and receive a yummy chocolate prize. There’s also a show of magic and mystery about the Giant of Greenwood, plus all the usual fun on the eco-friendly rides, including a solar powered water ride, a people-powered rollercoaster and the longest sledge run in Wales.
Join a classic Easter egg hunt
From April 2, National Trust locations
Head to any National Trust site this Easter and join a nature-inspired activity trail. Once your little explorers have finished, they can collect a chocolate egg for their hard work.
Children doing an Easter egg hunt at Mottisfont, Hampshire, by John Millar ©National Trust Images
Discover nature’s superheroes
From April 9-24, The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Cornwall
Need a break from all that chocolate? Go on a different kind of Easter hunt and discover the heroes of the natural world and their climate-affecting missions they embark on to save the planet. Kids pick their favourite, then follow the quiz trail mission map across the Heligan estate, learning more about their lives and how they affect ours. Sign up for an Easter kambing talk and you’ll also be able to get up close with the newest lambs and learn about life in the lambing barn.
A triple whammy Easter Eggstravaganza
April 9-24, Bowood House, Wiltshire
Join an egg hunt in the arboretum and try to find the Easter Bunny in the adventure playground. If their weather turns, there will also be fun Easter activities on offer inside the house.
We’re going on a dinosaur hunt
April 9-24, Crealy Theme Park & Resort, Devon
Got a little dino enthusiast? They’ll love Crealy’s Easter offering – a hunt for dinosaur eggs that culminates in a chocolate prize. Your dinophile will be given a prehistoric map, where they can tick off all the locations of the eggs. When you’ve completed your Jurassic adventure, there will still be time to have fun on rides like the Twister, Tidal Wave and Vortex.
Try traditional egg dancing
April 9-24, Blists Hill, Ironbridge
Have a go at traditional egg dancing alongside some of Blists Hill Victorian Town’s resident townspeople who will be demonstrating the Victorian Easter dance twice a day at 11am and 2:30pm over the bank holiday weekend. Tots will enjoy the town's Fairy Trail which has been given an Easter twist, taking you on a guided tour through the woodland in search of the fairy’s hidden chocolate stash. Older guests can step back in time as they follow a trail of the town's original Victorian advertising signs promoting popular chocolate brands of the era (yep, there’s a prize at the end too!).
Outdoor theatrics
April 16, Holker Hall & Gardens, Cumbria
Get set for a magical interactive outdoor theatre experience – Charlie’s Chocolate Extravaganza. Set in the grounds of Honker Hall, The Storytellers will put on a show of surprises, singing and chocolate! Aimed at children from 3-8, but all ages welcome.
Quack the case
April 15-18, Washington Wetland Centre, Tyne and Wear and April 2-24, London Wetland Centre
Forget the usual Easter offerings of lambs and bunnies, on this trail you’ll get to hunt big yellow ducks. Can you find them all in the wetland? Search the wetlands site to see if you can find them hidden amongst their real life duck friends.
Easter Eggstravangaza at Traquair
April 17, Traquair House, Peeblesshire
Join the biggest egg hunt in the Borders in the biggest maze in Scotland. There will be 6,000 mini eggs hidden throughout the maze ready to be found during a series of egg hunts. Once the hunting’s done, there’s more to explore with Easter scavenger hunts, Easter bonnet making and musical instrument making.
Puzzle it out
April 16-19, The Jungle, Magherafelt, Northern Ireland
Head off on a quest against time to solve puzzles, find clues and answer riddles to find the missing eggs. Explore the enchanted forest to find the clues and once you’ve earned your Easter egg, refresh yourself with a glass of birch water (from The Jungle’s own Birches) and toast some tasty marshmallows.
Follow the Very Hungry Caterpillar
April 2-18, Kew Gardens, London
Have the kids munched their way through too many Easter eggs? Take them on the beautiful Very Hungry Caterpillar trail at Kew Gardens instead where they’ll learn interesting facts about nature and the connections between plants and insects. Based on Eric Carle’s much-loved book, the trail winds through sculptures of juicy fruits and a cosy chrysalis along the way.
On Kew's Hungry Caterpillar Trail ©RBG Kew
Easter panto and woodland fun
April 9-24, National Forest Adventure Farm, Staffordshire
Always a fab Easter treat for younger children, the Adventure Farm’s woodland trail to meet the Easter Bunny is magical. You’ll start your journey with a tractor ride on the Easter Eggspress, meet the animal entertainers hiding out on the woodland trail and can even enjoy an Easter pantomime afterwards. If that’s not enough, you can head over to the lambing barn to meet the new arrivals and even bottle feed a lamb.
An Easter Bunny Eggs-pedition
April 2-19, Bewilderwood, Norfolk
Meet the Easter Bunny at the Storytelling Stage, then bounce along the woodland trail to find where those pesky bunnies have hidden their chocolate eggs. There’s also face painting, crafting and den building on offer.
All aboard the Easter Express
April 2-18, Audley End Miniature Railway, Saffron Walden
Hop aboard the miniature train and take a ride through the enchanted woods to visit the Easter bunny. Little ones can use their spy sheets to look out for colourful eggs, spring chicks and other characters along the way. After the train ride, children can enjoy storytelling and run off some energy in the adventure play area.
Lambing live
Until April 24, Cotswold Farm Park, Cheltenham
Spring is an exciting time on the farm, with 600 rare breed and commercial sheep, due to give birth in the Animal Barn. Take a seat next to the lambing pens, get up close to all the action and see the early bonds the flocks make with their newborns. There will be daily lambing talks and you’ll get to see lots of other new additions, including kids, piglets and guinea pigs.
Hunt the golden carrot
April 2-18, Hever Castle, Kent
Follow the trail of colourful carrots through Hever’s beautiful grounds, culminating in a delicious chocolate treat for kids. Find the special golden carrot and you will be in with a chance of winning an Easter hamper. Kids can also get creative making an Easter crown, then enjoy a family walk amid the dazzling display of late-flowering daffodils, hyacinths, camellias and tulips or take on the challenge of the yew maze. If it rains on your Eater parade you can always head inside the castle where you’ll find another Easter trail to keep little ones entertained.
Take a deep dive
April 16-18, The Diving Museum, Hampshire
Looking for an egg hunt with a difference? Head to the Diving Museum and find all the hidden clues to win a super-cute knitted sea anemone with a little chocolate surprise.
Main image: Ewe with lambs at Knightshayes, Devon ©National Trust Images/John Millar
